


Thrice in a Lifetime

by Hitsugi_Zirkus



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Birthday, Fluff, Incest, Light Angst, M/M, NSFW, Post-True Route, RenAo Week, Romance, Self-cest, you know its an au because sei is alive lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-03-25 08:34:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3803839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hitsugi_Zirkus/pseuds/Hitsugi_Zirkus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just when Aoba thinks his life is perfect with two miracles, the most strange blessing of all arrives at the front door for his birthday.</p><p>For Day Four, "Birthday" prompt for Renao Week!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1st Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> SO I REALLY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR RENSLYAOSEI BIRTHDAY AND THIS IS WHAT YOU GET. I just. Really wanted them all to be together and happy for their birthday. And so really this fic is just me pushing my own self-indulgent AU where Sly and Sei can get to be in the picture too in (more-or-less) canonverse. On that note, this is probably not the best impersonation of being canon-compliant *makes fart noises*

Both Aoba and Ren were awake when their Coils simultaneously went off with tiny beeps, signaling the arrival of midnight. Aoba hardly paid the sound any thought; it was mere background noise to the main occupation of his mind, his fingers woven in the mess of Ren’s hair and his back arched to give his lover’s tongue better access inside him. Up until the beeps went off, Aoba was puffing out shallow and as quiet as possible pants to the wall as his legs shook, trying to keep him standing as Ren ate him out. But with that technical announcement of the time, Ren pulled away.

“What...what is it?”

Ren had pulled away enough that Aoba could shift around to gaze down at him, searching his expression as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of night.

It looked like Ren had his head tilted, as if he’d just remembered something. “It’s the next day,” was what he finally said in explanation.

Any other time, Aoba would’ve found amusement in agreeing with the random note of detail, but when he was plucked away from the cliff of orgasm, all he could do was sigh patiently. “It is, huh?”

“It’s the twenty-second of April then.”

At that, Aoba perked up, recognizing why this was suddenly so important for Ren to note. It was enough for him to relax, and he smiled a bit, reaching down to pet through Ren’s hair lovingly. “Yeah, it is.”

Even in the darkness, the bright smile and fangs were visible in the pale moonlight as Ren smiled too. His hand came up, stroking Aoba’s hip before placing a tender kiss there. “Happy birthday, Aoba.”

“Heh, you too, you know. Happy birthday.”

“And Sei. And Sly.”

Aoba let out a small laugh, thinking of the ones sleeping in the room just down the hall. “Those two as well.” Warmth filled Aoba’s heart as the significance of the new day and the current circumstances of it sank in. It wasn’t too long ago after all that Aoba thought this day was for him alone, unknowing of the others he shared his day of birth with. Now, being in the company of his brother and not-selves, it felt a thousand times more special than before.

Judging by the sparkle of Ren’s eyes, he felt the same way. He leaned in to resume giving Aoba’s hip slow kisses, traveling over to the base of his spine, then down between the cheeks he was spreading. Aoba’s breath started to hitch again, his eyes falling closed. He arched once more, letting out a quiet moan when Ren’s lips sucked on his quivering entrance, occasionally dipping a finger inside.

As far as early birthday presents went, Aoba was really liking this one.

He let out a stunted groan, louder than he intended when Ren started to quickly stroke his cock while continuing with his heated sucks and deep licks. “Haa--! R-Ren, not so much, they’ll hear…”

“Aoba, you could not be quiet if you _tried_ ,” came a voice right outside their door, making both lovers freeze. There was a small giggle of another, and the first boy, Sly, smirked. “Don’t stop on our account though. Sei just wanted some water.”

“Oh my god,” Aoba breathed, pressing his forehead to the wall in humiliation.

He took it back. The special feelings and the amazing present. He took it all back.

* * *

Almost three years ago, some months after Ren was released from the hospital and a sense of normalcy was coming back in the Seragaki home, he started getting quiet. Contemplative. His head would tilt in much the same way a dog did when listening out for their owner’s voice. No matter how many times Aoba asked what he was doing, Ren could only respond with that he wasn’t sure.

Finally, when he could explain it, it came in the form of news Aoba had not been prepared to hear. It was after a long day, and both he and Ren were sitting together in the bath, basking in the warm water. Then Ren had brushed the long, wet trail of hair from Aoba’s shoulder, almost thoughtfully.

“Aoba, how does Sly feel to you?”

Unsure of the nature of the question, Aoba only blinked.

Not long after Ren returned, so had Aoba’s Desire. It was the biggest relief of his life to not be alone anymore, inside and outside, and so when he wasn’t visiting Ren at the hospital, Aoba was tentatively trying to strike up conversations with his other self, who had proclaimed one day to wanting to be called by their old screen name “Sly”. Aoba could agree with that. If Ren had his own name, why shouldn’t his other self?

It made it easier to talk to him too, and helped Aoba in seeing Sly as someone a little apart from himself. Whether or not that was Sly’s intention was something Aoba didn’t know, especially after years of him waiting for Aoba to accept him and be whole with him. Now, more or less they had an arrangement like they were two people-but-not in the same body, and as such, sometimes Sly would take control of their body. It had been a begrudging but quiet want for permission at first, and Aoba got the sense that Sly thought he should act as docile as possible in order to win Aoba’s favor and not be tossed to the abysmal shadows of his mind again. But Aoba did his best to erase those doubts Sly still had by letting him come out if he wanted to. All it took was one particular perk of his presence, like brushing shoulders, and Aoba would step to the side without protest, taking on the onlooker role Sly always had been forced in.

On that note, even Ren talked with Sly as their relationship started becoming one less of opposition and little by little more toward affection, and had by now noticed the differences when it was Aoba or Sly that was out.

As such, Aoba thought Ren’s question was more personal than it actually was.  “What do you mean? Do you want to talk to him?”

“No, that’s not what I was asking. I was...thinking more in the way of how it feels to you when he’s speaking to you. From the inside.” Apparently seeing that Aoba was still lost in where this was going, Ren lowered his hands, looking off to the side in thought. “Aoba, I think - I think I still hear Sei. Inside me. Alive. He...says my name sometimes. And then when I look at you or Sly - I sometimes feel a happiness different from my own. It’s still in my own heart, but it differs somehow.”

Aoba was breathless, searching Ren’s eyes at that moment as if trying to catch a glimpse of something more like their brother in them. Even Sly had stirred inside him, hanging on to every word of their conversation.

“And you think it’s from Sei?”

“Yes. No,” Ren shook his head, “I’m quite positive that it’s him.”

Seeing as Ren had been linked with Sei for so long, Aoba trusted his judgment on the matter better than anyone. He could hardly find himself on steady ground long enough to process it, that his brother - their brother - the one he and Sly supposedly destroyed, was still somehow with them. Was he listening now as Sly was? Was he sleeping? Where had he been? Ren didn’t have answers for any of their questions.

It took time after that. A long time, until Sei finally started popping out too. It didn’t happen that night in the bath, or the next day, or the next week.

Ren said he still heard Sei, and as the days went on, Sei seemed to revive a little more like the languid spill of sunlight in the morning. It came to a point where Ren said he could converse with Sei in dreams, but never did their brother come to the surface as Sly did with Aoba.

And when Sly griped about how _not fair_ it was, Aoba couldn’t help but feel the same. They were jealous, that in the private realm of Ren’s mind, he could talk to Sei, could see Sei, even when he was supposed to be dead. Ren’s wounds of mourning were being mended. Aoba and Sly were still waiting.

Finally, one morning, Aoba stirred in Ren’s arms, and he felt something different. Ren’s hold was solid and protective, even through the night. He had the habit of burying his nose in the mess of Aoba’s hair - or, if he was feeling frisky, would rub their hips together.

But Ren was holding him wrong. No, not wrong. Just _differently_. He felt awake, by the loose hold and light, quiet breaths. There was something distinctly and deliberately delicate about how he carried his body and his whole aura. It reminded Aoba of someone that he once thought was made of glass skin.

In the end, Sly beat him to it, raising them up at once and looking down at the surprised, abysmal-black eyes lifted to their face.

“Sei!”

Would you believe it, that the veil of composure actually lifted just long enough for their older brother to blush, as if in shame?

“Sly.”

“You know. You know _me_.” Sei always knew Sly, and Aoba could feel that single wash of relief that eclipsed even his own excitement of Sei being _here_ , right in front of them.

Sly’s voice was steady, and Aoba just watched, too stunned to even protest Sly so suddenly taking over their body. Their lips spread in an incredulous smile as Sly gathered up Sei’s hands, nuzzling into them with such tender reverence that Aoba was left speechless.

Sei’s embarrassment left at the gesture, and a softer expression crossed his face. It was Ren’s face, but even the angles of his jaw didn’t seem as strong anymore, his eyes relaxed and reserved in a way Ren’s never had been before. However, it still looked natural. An expected given considering that, in the end, Ren’s body _did_ have a previous owner before, and now he had returned. For how long or why or how in the first place wasn’t known.

Perhaps that was why Sly was trembling. Or maybe that was Aoba’s nerves taking over. He was so focused on Sei that it was hard to tell who was on the surface anymore.

They shuddered, but it was definitely Sly who said, “God, please don’t leave again.”

Sei remained silent, but stroked through the long blue hair trailing down beside him. The strands sitting on his palm seemed so incomplete without the physical connection they’d been born with, the now severed one that had hurt just like a wound for twenty-three years. And indeed, Sei appeared to be examining where their hair ended where once it would’ve blended with his, before kissing the strands.

Then, in that impulsive way only the embodiment of desire could have, Sly pressed his palms to Sei’s cheeks. “Geez, stop beating around the bush. Don’t tell me I’m the only one who’s not a prude here.” And he joined their lips together. Sei didn’t refuse. Aoba didn’t stop them, and apparently neither did Ren - maybe both were too shocked to do anything about it. At the very least, Aoba could feel himself fall into the kiss as well.

There was, of course, the knowledge that Ren’s body or not, the one being kissed right now was their _brother_. But then, he was also their literal other half. All of theirs. In the end, that might’ve been why it seemed so natural. “Brother” did not even scratch the surface of the depth of the connection they had with the man they’d been born together with.

Aoba was the one who tugged the smile to their lips again in the middle of the kiss. It was also Aoba who finally said it.

“ _Welcome back, brother_.”

* * *

Aoba and Sly had destroyed Sei with their power. Sei had wanted them to do it, had all but ordered them to do it. Having him back was a relief and truly the most wonderful miracle. But Aoba felt like he was waiting for Sei to tell them that this was only temporary, that he’d be truly gone soon. Or worse, that while he appreciated them being together right now, he hadn’t given up his wish to vanish.

But Sei didn’t leave. He was quiet, almost pensive whenever he took over Ren’s (their? his own?) body. He took to just sitting, flexing his fingers before just staring out the window or at Aoba and Sly. Sometimes he got up to walk around, but never did he leave the house. He was startled the first time Aoba got him in the bath, eyes wide almost childishly as he dipped his feet into the warm water. Unsure hands patted over the towels that Aoba rubbed into his now unfeeling hair.

But true to the first impression of one who had a passive body, Sei’s favorite thing to do was sleep. Ren explained once that sleeping inside a mind was different from sleeping inside a body. Perhaps Sei, who’s body had always been worn and over exhausted, was taking in the pleasantries of finally resting. Sometimes that worried Aoba, who thought that when Sei finally got his fill of sleep, he’d finally rest for good.

When he woke from his naps, sometimes it was Ren, and sometimes it was still Sei. Either way, a small smile and kiss was given in greeting, regardless who was out when. Aoba accepted and was on the receiving end of Sei’s physical affections just as much as Sly. He wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it, and now that he had time to step back and think about it, the whole thing was too ludicrous to think about for long. Because honestly, saying you've romantically kissed your brother who is hanging out in a body that was once his but he gave to a piece of your ego-turned-lover was just too much to handle. Sly only sighed impatiently at him.

But they had an arrangement, adapting as quickly as if Sei had simply always been around. Just as Sly slipped from inside to outside, so did Sei. And both Ren and Aoba were perfectly okay with it, and before long could pick up with talking to Sei just as much as Sly.

From the outside then, it must’ve looked quite strange to see how their conversations still flowed, even when who was being spoken to constantly shifted sometimes. It was apparent by the looks on Tae and Koujaku’s faces when they did it that it was a bit bizarre.

“I’m getting the one with the strawberry, okay?”

“May I try that too, Aoba?”

“Huh? Of course, Sei. Ugh, Sly, we’re _not_ getting the slice with a peach, so stop asking. Peaches taste weird.”

“Maybe _you’re_ weird. And I’m _so_ not drinking milk.”

A small giggle. “Sly, you shouldn’t just take over like that.”

“This is as much my body as his!”

A deep sigh. “Sly…”

“Oh shut up, Ren, and bring Sei back.”

“Guys, I just want some cake, seriously-- Ow! Sly, it actually _hurts_ when you shout around like that!”

“Sei wants to try some too, since it’ll be his first time having a cake like this…”

On the first birthday that they could all share together, the Seragaki house had come alive like never before. For anyone outside the four birthday boys, it was a challenge to sometimes keep a conversation going when Sly kept interrupting or Ren kept letting Sei out to try and get him to socialize.

Amidst all the fun, Tae’s grey hairs were noticeably starting to sprout more frequently.

Nonetheless, it was without a doubt Aoba’s favorite birthday. It was the first one with every part of him together, Sei included in that. Memories like this were what should have been from the beginning. Instead of dwelling too much in the regret though, Aoba smiled as he watched Sei try his first slice of birthday cake, his expression lighting up in surprise before immediately taking another bite into the pastry Tae had made.

And Aoba thought to himself, _Better late than never_.

* * *

On their second birthday together, there was a basket addressed to them at the front door. It was rather large, with some clothed bundle inside it. The weight of it was apparent when Ren picked it up and set it on the table.

Morning light was already streaming in between the cramped houses, too early for either Sly or Sei to want to be awake. Little things like that were probably why the two hit it off so well. That and, when Aoba was inside and Sly was out when Sei was, he could feel the crescendo of his other self’s happiness warm inside them. Loud and clear, Aoba could hear the words just as well as if he’d spoken them himself:

Sei had _noticed_ Sly. He always had, even when Aoba was still carrying on blissfully ignorant. Their dear and precious brother never ignored him and had welcomed his presence just as much as Aoba and Ren. He’d even been the one to firstly tell Aoba that Sly was not bad, and that Aoba should accept him, voicing what Sly had been so angry about for years. So Sly’s intense feelings of affection for Sei (that he reciprocated), was completely understandable to Aoba.

Despite the time of day, Aoba could feel his other self stir slightly when confusion was buzzing in their mind.

_Wha’s going on?_

_I don’t know. There was a basket at the front door_. Aoba stared at the bundle, then to Ren and he nodded at the card in his hand. “What’s it say?”

Ren shook his head, turning the card around and around. “There’s no sender address, or a signed name.” He held the tiny piece of paper out to Aoba.

Taking the card, Aoba gave it the same scrutinization as Ren. All that was neatly printed on it were birthday wishes and hopes that the present would serve them all well. At first, Aoba thought that was referring to himself and Ren. But Sly and Sei’s names were also listed there. A suspicious chill went down his sternum at that, settling on his chest.

Aoba was impatiently shoved to the background. “Well?” Sly asked, apparently bored with just watching and anticipating. “So are we gonna open this thing or not? It _is_ a present, after all.”

Distracted by the new presence, Ren smiled. “Good morning, Sly. This is early for you.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s before ten - miracle of miracles.” Putting that aside, Sly nodded to the basket. “So?”

After a moment of consideration, Ren shrugged, apparently not seeing the harm in a birthday present either. He opened up the flaps of the bundle wrapped in a blanket, and before he revealed it, he froze. Then, more slowly, he set the blanket open like a flower inviting the sun in, and the sickly sweet perfume of expensive alcohol and the cake they’d be having later flourished out strongly.

Even Sly was shocked by what was inside, making Aoba anxious. When he looked through their eyes, he could see why a pair of small babies would be cause for alarm. They were white, as if painted in flour, except where someone seemed to have gone in and filled in some areas with ink - a gradient of grey to black in purposeful patterns. The most unnerving thing wasn’t the fact that the babies didn’t appear to be breathing.

No, more than that was their beautiful fall of pearly-white hair, unbroken unlike the once-bond they'd been born with.

Tae had taken that moment to step in, wondering aloud why they hadn’t gotten breakfast started when her eyes fell onto the basket as well. All color from her face drained away, making her nearly as pale as the babies.

When there was no immediate answer on Ren and Sly’s faces, she only pressed a hand to her chest. “What is this?” she whispered.

* * *

When they all sat around the table to assess the situation, Aoba remembered when he and Sly destroyed Sei. How could he not vividly recall the memory that gave him just as many if not more nightmares than his failed Scrap with Mizuki? The images haunted him all during those silent, lonely months without Ren or Sly.

He remembered where they’d all been dragged when Sei had Scrapped him with his stare, and he remembered that the appearance of Sei in his mind was vastly different than his outside looks. Although Sei had been sickly and pale, it wasn’t to the degree of his completely white pallor of his mind’s self; the self that, according to Sei, was their birth appearance.

The babies before them were like copies of that. And Aoba, now in control when a shaken Sly had retreated, took in their appearance with a critical eye. The chubby cheeks, the tiny curled fists, and the linked hair… Was this how he and Sei looked when they were born?

Their presence disturbed Tae. That was understandable, considering that this was the product of her research - research that should’ve ended at the creation of Aoba and Sei. But it was all too obvious that Toue had apparently not stopped at just one set of mind-controlling creations.

“They’re not alive. Or rather, I should say there’s nothing inside them.” It was Sei who noted it. In all the ruckus, he’d woken up too and switched after Ren had explained that there were things Sei had to talk about on the matter. As the one who’d been stuck with Toue the longest, they all hung on to Sei’s words for some context of the situation.

Sei’s eyes were empty, his expression detached. “I remember seeing them sometimes when I transferred pieces of my consciousness to security cameras. They first appeared when I was about seventeen years old, right when it was becoming obvious that my body was wearing out. Thinking of it now, they were no doubt me and Aoba’s replacements. But they always remained in the tube they were created in. Their bodies were sustained, but they never moved. As I said, there’s nothing inside them.”

“You mean, like they don’t have any consciousness?” Aoba asked. It was unnerving, how the babies just laid there, motionless. If he thought of them as nothing more than dolls, then Sei’s statement didn’t seem too impossible.

Tae picked up on the thought, her fingers laced together, her expression nothing short of intense concentration. “It wouldn’t be surprising,” she said. “After all, you and Sei were the same way. As you were created artificially, it was one thing to create a body, and another to put a consciousness inside it in order for you two to truly be alive. I was the one who headed the aspect of consciousness; now that I think of it, this might have been something else Toue had wanted me to help him with when he made contact again.”

After years of thinking he was human, it still disturbed Aoba to know that he in fact was someone artifical, that his body was fabricated and not born. Not only that, but his grandmother had a hand in it - unknowingly of course, but the product of her research sat in front of her in sets right now. There could've been more like himself and Sei had his grandmother actually gone along with Toue back then. It was almost all too impossible to think, but Aoba knew it to be all true. 

“Why would someone send us these though?”

Sei shook his head. “I can’t even say _who_ sent these. I thought when Oval Tower fell that…all these would be destroyed along with it.” He gazed at the two humanoids in the basket. His expression hadn’t changed from its taut one, as if he were trying hard to piece something together.

Aoba wasn’t sure if he wanted the babies around much longer if they were causing such tension between them all. Probably due to how physically human they looked though, despite their lack of pigment, Aoba was reluctant to be the one to bring up not doing anything with them. Toue’s nightmare was supposed to be over, and yet…

“So what? Someone sent these to us as some sick joke? The news reports did say that there were no casualties from the Tower falling, so maybe someone who still follows Toue’s ideals just…”

 _No_. Sly had come back to the conversation, and he sounded like he was sure of something.

“Sly, what is it?” Aoba said it out loud to tune the others in.

 _Aoba, think about it. Whoever sent these knew me and Sei were here too. Inside you and Ren. They knew we were here and they sent us empty shells_.

“I’m not following…”

“What is he saying?” Tae asked.

“I don’t know, it’s… Sly?” Aoba blinked, his body momentarily having the feeling of being suspended, and then Sly had taken over. Immediately, he looked to Sei, who was returning the stare calmly, almost as if he anticipated what Sly would say.

Sly pointed to the babies. “I think someone just gave me and Sei bodies.”

The look on Tae’s face said she immediately wanted to protest, but then she settled. Sei too tensed, probably due to Ren, before bringing his shoulders down as well. Aoba was speechless. 

Sly took the silence as an opening to keep going. “It makes sense, right? The card said for us to enjoy the present, ‘all of us’. These were meant for me and Sei to put our consciousness in.”

“Is that...possible?” By the low uncertainty of the question, it was Ren who asked.

That made Sly smirk. “Well, I think you’d know that better than anyone here. You’re the one who constantly switched in and out of bodies.”

Ren shook his head. “That was different. With the Allmate, I could transfer my consciousness because of the online network. And I’m only here right now because of Sei. He put me here.”

 _Sei filled his body again with Ren, bringing it back to life_ , Aoba mused, to Sly as well as himself.

“Sei is the one with powers over creation, so of course he could easily put you in his body,” Tae said, once again drawing the same conclusion Aoba had.

Sly nodded, like that answered everything. “So you admit that Sei could do this.”

“Well, _Sei_ , yes. But you…”

Loud silence filled the room again. Aoba tried hard not to think it because as closely intertwined as he and Sly were now, nary a thought came to him without Sly also hearing it. But it was true, wasn’t it? Sly might be the one who held their power, but his was the complete opposite of Sei’s. If their powers were to be taken quite literally, Sei could in theory have his own body once more, but Sly could have the opposite effect. The possibility of him even dying or disappearing was not lost on Aoba.

Cold-pricked fear gripped their heart, and the panic was not lost on Sly, who laid a hand over his chest as if to calm Aoba down. But now that he was caught, Aoba couldn’t keep his worst fears to himself. _No! I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take it if you disappeared again, I couldn’t, I couldn’t…!!_

“Reason, calm down,” Sly murmured. He was firm. And ever since earning a name of his own, he only referred to Aoba by their formal titles to establish again that sense of oneness, of being one another. It was almost like a promise, that since they were born together, neither would abandon the other ever again.

“Why should Sei be the one to transfer his consciousness?” Ren suddenly asked out loud. “This was his body in the first place.”

“No,” Sei came out again almost at once, “I gave this body to you. It’s yours now. I’m the intruder here. Besides, as Tae has just said, I’m probably the only one here who could successfully move myself into another body.”

Pain cut into Aoba and Sly’s chest. “And then me?”

Reaching across to take Sly’s hand, Sei gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m not going to do it if you can’t do it with me.”

The clock in the living room suddenly chimed, announcing the arrival of eleven o’clock. Tae sat up with a sigh, supporting her back with her hand. “Well, you all still have time to talk about this another time. Go get yourselves cleaned up and I’ll make some breakfast. I have to get started on your birthday dinner as well. Thank goodness that masked friend of yours agreed to do the cake this year…”

As she toddled off to begin rummaging around the kitchen, Sei and Sly also got up. Sly picked the basket up at Aoba’s nudging, not wanting to leave them alone with their grandmother.


	2. 2nd Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second birthday Ren, Aoba, Sly, and Sei spend together, they're given a present in the form of a new chance. But will they take this opportunity, or keep things as they are now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm sorry this took so dang long to update, it's truly ridiculous *squints at calendar* Nigh a month its been, jfc. This was just supposed to be one thing, but then it got to two chapters, and now three. I've now decided to split the chapters up by birthdays, and I'm really hoping it's all wrapped up by the third one. This fic kind of got away from me, as you can see lol but nevertheless! I hope y'all enjoy it -bows-

Their second birthday was considerably less cheerful than the first because of the events of the morning. Ren still took the drinks that Mizuki and Koujaku offered him; Sly all but chugged them down. Sei had as lively a chat with Clear as possible. Aoba too tried his best to not appear occupied, and he laughed at the joking of his friends and asked for thirds of cake, hoping the sugar would overtake the grim gunk clogging his insides.

But in the end, once the party was over and they sat alone on the bed, the inevitable came again as they faced the basket sitting on Aoba’s small table. They’d covered the bodies back up, save for their faces, giving them the appearance of two swaddled babies now resting for the night. It was almost normal to have them in the room. Except it was anything but.

In the contemplative silence, Sly shifted anxiously inside Aoba. _Hey_...

_What is it?_

For someone who hated people who beat around the bush, Sly’s answer was in no hurry to come out. Then finally, _That wasn’t bullshit before, was it? That you’d really miss me if I disappeared?_

Aoba gripped the sheets of the bed so hard, he felt his nails dig in through the material. _I really would miss you. No question_. A thousand apologies and reassurances Sly had heard before fluttered anxiously at the back of Aoba’s mind, but Sly didn’t pursue them, opting instead to hum in consideration as he went quiet again.

When a decision wasn’t reached that night, Ren and Aoba determined to just sleep, as if that would bring a solution to them in the morning. Leaving the basket on the table, the two lovers curled up in bed closer than before. It was as much as Sei and Sly’s need for comfort as their own.

Aoba tried to make his mind blank, which was easy when Sly wasn’t talking still. He sent out a little reassuring nudge to his other self, and after a few seconds, he felt it returned. Smiling a bit, Aoba was asleep in Ren’s arms in minutes, inhaling his kind scent and feeling the strong beat of his heart.

But in the middle of the night, he stirred to the sound of voices from far away, as if from above him. The bubble sensation was one Aoba knew by now meant that Sly was on the surface. His weariness aided him in being able to slowly uncoil undetected as he tried to make out what the voices were saying.

“...wanted ever since Ren got his body too, you know.”

“I know. But please understand that it’ll be dangerous for you.”

Ah, so Sly was talking to Sei. Aoba could recognize the intonation of their brother’s speech anywhere. Their voices were quiet, their lips barely moving as their foreheads pressed together, making their breaths mingle. Obviously they didn’t want to wake Aoba or Ren up, and while Aoba couldn’t vouch if Ren was truly asleep or not, he wasn’t going to stop listening now. He could tell by the secrecy of their tone that they were talking about their new situation.

Sly released an airy sound of disapproval. “You’re going to stop me then too?”

“You won’t do it unless I do,” Sei said. It wasn’t unkindly or an order, but merely something he knew to be a fact.

Judging by the tight press of Sly’s lips, that was all too correct. “You’re going to do it though. You’ll have your own body too.”

Sei’s warm breath fluttered over Sly’s cheeks when he sighed, his eyes closing. “I’ve _had_ a body before. It was exhausting. Ren might be healthy but… There’s also the fact to consider that despite our developed consciousness, those are still the bodies of babies. We might forget who we are. We won’t even be able to speak.”

“Aoba and Ren can teach us who we are again, if it comes down to it.” Sly said it confidently, cocking a grin. “I know a thing or two about lost memories, and so that’s why I know we’ll be able to regain ourselves again.”

“I just don’t know…”

Suspicion and impatience pressed down on Sly’s chest. He shifted his head back a bit to get a better look at Sei, cupping his chin. “Why are you hesitating? You’re never this passive.” Sly searched their brother’s dark eyes for an answer. “You’re hiding things. Even earlier, when you said you had no idea sent us the babies, that was bullshit, wasn’t it? What is it? Are you scared to have your own body again?”

“Yes,” Sei murmured easily. “And no. I’ve never had my own body before, at least one with which I could act on with my own will, so how can I have one again? Before all this, I was trying to alleviate my mental burdens by disassociating from my body that was put under test after test. That only ended up killing me more. If I started over like this, what would it be like? To fully control myself, to be responsible for myself?”

Listening quietly under the surface, Aoba didn’t think he was following Sei’s explanation very well. But Sly’s gaze lowered, understanding what Sei meant. An echo of Sly’s thoughts rippled in their mind, fixating on Sei’s words: " _To fully control myself_."

When it became all too clear, the realization was enough for Sly to feel him awaken. Aoba tried to pass it off as him just shifting around a little, before quieting his presence again to give the continued illusion of slumber.

After a moment, Sly let out a breathless growl. “So you’re not going to do it because of that?”

Sei’s eyes narrowed a bit, sensing the hostility of the question. “It’s one reason. But as we were discussing before, you’d also be put under great danger should we do this.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Sly hissed. His hands curled into loose fists on Sei’s chest. “Just the same way that you put Ren in your body, you could be the one to put both of us in those. The decision is purely yours.”

“Sly.” It was a warning.

Tight coils of anger snaked up Sly’s body, rising in temperature with each second of the sudden stare-off the two brothers were having. Aoba knew that Sly hated being talked down to in any fashion - and that included Sei deciding to use a tone of authority over him. Granted, Aoba had never heard the two of them genuinely fight before; despite his other self’s nature, he didn’t think Sly would ever want to start an argument with Sei.

True to this, Sly merely shook his head and rolled over, curling up. “God,” he muttered. “Why did you even come back if you deny opportunities like this?”

Sei didn’t answer. The air remained thick, smothering their breaths and closing in on their chests. But in the end, no reply came, and even Sly fell back asleep eventually after slipping back under the surface.

Aoba thought to turn around again to hug the one beside him, but in the end just stayed where he was, staring at the wall growing brighter and brighter with the arrival of dawn.

* * *

Neither Sly or Sei were coming out. Aoba tried to get his other self out by even promising things like letting him have a night out to himself and other things he’d always asked for, but barely a response came. Only a bunch of huffing and slipping further down into the shadows. And so Aoba stopped trying, for fear Sly might get lost in their mind in trying to avoid him. Ren was thankfully at least getting responses from Sei, albeit in terse answers that reassured Ren that he was fine, only tired.

“Well, this is fine and all,” Aoba said during one lunch hour at Heibon, “but we still have the babies in our room, and it’s a little unnerving.”

Ren sat across from him, and was lightly tapping their feet together under the counter in reassurance. “I’m sure they need more time to think about this than we do.” Ren too knew about the argument that had happened that night, but both he and Aoba never brought it up to the other two.

It was uncomfortable to say the least, to never mention the elephant in the room with the people they shared their bodies with. Aoba sighed, shoving his bento to the side to give room for laying his head down. “I know, I know. I’m just - worried. Every time things get stable, these new loops get thrown at us. I just want us all to be settled and happy, but - I guess that’s a bit childish, isn’t it?”

Ren ran his fingers gently through Aoba’s hair. “I wish for the same,” he said, leaning in to press a reassuring kiss on top of Aoba’s head.

Although the feeling had mostly faded from Aoba’s hair, it still tickled when Ren did that. He smiled, sitting up enough to meet Ren’s lips this time. It was a small peck at first, but then they leaned in once more, slower than before with Aoba parting his lips to feel Ren’s tongue taste inside him. Certainly, this wasn’t the first time they made out in the shop, so Aoba didn’t feel particularly bad letting himself fall into the rhythms of their kisses.

That was, until Ren’s hand came up to caress his cheek, moving further to weave his fingers in Aoba’s hair. They were both standing now, although Aoba’s knees were starting to tremble as Ren’s touches became more apparently sensual.

“Ren,” he murmured, whining a bit at the end.

“Aoba,” Ren returned heatedly, then pressing his lips over and over on Aoba’s neck.

Barely holding in his gasp, Aoba tried to find reason to stop this. Making out was fine, though to be honest, if they did have sex in the shop, then…that wouldn’t be a first either. And so, giving in, Aoba locked the front door to keep the store safe, and the two went downstairs to settle back on the sofa there. Their kisses, slow and sweet then growing more heated, washed over each of them again. Aoba’s body uncoiled under each of Ren’s touches, making him sigh then moan when his sensitive areas were played with.

When Aoba’s shirt was pushed up to his chest, and his jeans unbuttoned, Ren started leaving a trail of soft kisses down the length of Aoba’s torso. The closer he got between his hips, the more Aoba’s insides thrummed in heat, and he tried not to shiver under the anticipation of Ren’s next touch.

Right below Aoba’s naval, Ren nuzzled into the patch of coarse blue hair, letting out a content sigh. Aoba let out one himself, relaxing more when Ren laid his head down inches above his arousal. It was almost like he’d fall asleep from the peace of their love. Sharing in that same bliss, Aoba smiled and pet through Ren’s hair.

“It’s so strange that I can’t feel anything. But this too is nice.”

Aoba paused. Not Ren. Confused but also perking up at the sound of his brother after the long silence, Aoba set his hand on top of the fluff of hair. “Hi, Sei.”

Dark eyes glanced up at him under Ren’s bangs, playful and open. “Hello, Aoba.” He punctuated the greeting with a lingering kiss right above the waistband of sky-blue underwear.

A flush hotter than before grew on Aoba’s cheeks. He was always more self-conscious and embarrassed when Sei was this close to him. Add that to the hands caressing his hips, dragging the fabric of his bottoms down further, and Aoba was very near a blushing virgin again. Sly always teased him about this, and Aoba couldn’t place what it was about Sei that did it - his knowing, sultry gazes? The fact that he was Aoba’s brother? How deliberately he teased and insisted on drawing out every reaction he could from Aoba?

And then there was the fact that Sei undoubtedly got satisfaction from that, like now as Aoba squirmed under his hands.

“Is this okay?”

“Wh-what? Um, yeah… But Ren?”

“I asked him,” Sei offered a flirtatious smile, “and he said he was okay with it. We don’t get to have intercourse very often after all, Aoba.”

Shivering at the melodious lilt of his name, Aoba quickly looked at the opposite wall. “Sly usually hogs you, that’s why.”

“Hehe. Well, he _is_ an insatiable one. No wonder he needs three lovers.” Sei shrugged off Aoba’s pants and boxers so that they hung off one leg. As he gave Aoba’s swelling cock an unabashed, appraising look, he stuck three of his fingers between his lips to slick them up, and by now Aoba figured out it was just as much to watch his reactions and tease him more as it was to prepare him.

When he leaned over to start kissing Aoba gently, he spread his half-bare thighs apart, nudging two fingers into Aoba’s quivering pucker.

Aoba trembled. “B-brother…” He quickly accommodated to the two thick fingers then let out a desperate little mewl when a third wriggled its way in.

“I’ll spoil Aoba a little right now then. Because big brother likes playing with you too, you know?” Sei giggled again, and it was so different from the soft one he used to have now that he had Ren’s lower voice. But the warm timbre of it resonated deep in Aoba’s body, teasing and curling deep in sensitive spots just like Sei’s probing fingers were.

“You...you don’t have to say it like that…”

“Why? This here seems to like hearing some dirty talk.” Sei reached between them, stroking Aoba’s cock along with the deep thrusts inside him. His pretty lips spread in a pleased smile when Aoba gave in to a shaky moan, his cock twitching in Sei’s fist.

“A-ahh… Ahn, Brother… Haa…”

Humming, Sei pulled his fingers out. “Such cute noises~ Hmm, unless you have any lubricant, I’ll be using my spit…”

Aoba prayed that he had the foresight to put his pocket lube in his jacket instead of his bag, and fumbled around with one hand to search where it laid on the floor. He touched something hard and breathed in relief. “Here you go.”

Taking the bottle slowly enough that Aoba could tell he was doing it intentionally, Sei’s fingers lingered over Aoba’s and he caught his gaze. Embarrassed, Aoba looked back down as Sei finally took the bottle and started undoing his pant fastenings. It still sometimes felt like a gravitating shock pulsing between them whenever Aoba returned Sei’s stares.

“Hey, Aoba.” Sei was positioning his slick cock now, red and thick and dripping pre-cum. “What do you think?”

Thrown off by the sudden weight Sei’s voice appeared to be holding, Aoba frowned. “About what?”

“About what’s going on with me and Sly. About the babies, and us potentially getting bodies. What do you think we should do?”

“That?” Well this was an odd time to bring it up, but Aoba gave the question its rightful consideration. “I don’t know if I have much right to say anything about it… I mean, I wouldn’t be the one changing bodies, but…”

“But?” Sei gravitated his hips closer, his blunt tip pressing on Aoba’s hole, more and more insistently.

Aah, that felt good… “But I don’t want either of you to disappear. I don’t want to risk anything, but at the same time, it feels surreal, the possibility that you could have your own bodies. We could all live together norma-- _aah_ ~! S-Sei…!”

Sei had started pushing in without warning, and Aoba’s ass accepted the familiar shape of the cock entering him, rubbing enticingly against his walls inch by inch. It was a slow dive, but that was nothing unusual when Sei fucked him, Sei just loving to probe so knowingly at Aoba, unraveling him just so in a way that was clearly amusing and arousing for him. It was no doubt the most perverted way to go about a big brother and little brother dynamic.

A leisurely pace rocked them both, giving Aoba the time to feel the drag of the head’s ridge, parting him open again and again.

“Haa, ahn… B-brother, my lunch break isn’t long, you know…”

Amused by the roundabout way of Aoba’s request, Sei smiled again, leaning over Aoba again. His hips snapped forward at a faster and harder pace, the lubricant running down between his cheeks and making slapping sounds echo in the room. Aoba’s moans raised an octave, and he clutched Sei to him, burying his face into the strong crook of his neck.

“Aah, ah, _haah_! S-Sei...Brother, ahh~!”

“So...cute,” Sei cooed again in a voice tight with pleasure. He sighed blissfully, giving Aoba kisses over his panting mouth.

“Mmh...hhngh!”

Parting with a wet smack, Sei changed his angle, hitting Aoba’s prostate with each thrust. Aoba moved his own hips desperately to meet Sei’s, the ache for more consuming every stretch of his muscles.

“Brother, haa, ahhh~”

“You know, Aoba,” Sei said between hot pants, “I don’t want to disappear either. That’s all I wanted before, but now… Haa....” He let out a choked groan, his cock jerking inside Aoba. When Aoba jumped at the sensation, he smiled once more. “Ahh, it’ll be fun I think, if we could hold each other with our own bodies, just like this.” He leaned in, nuzzling into Aoba’s neck. “Mmn, me...you, Ren...aah...and Sly...”

_Together_. Aoba thought about it as his ankles crossed behind Sei’s back - he thought about them laying together like this, having the choice to share this pleasure with just them, of just Sei’s lips and not Ren’s too that kissed him. Maybe Ren and Sly would be fucking right next to them, maybe Ren would glance over at them, and Sly would smirk, leaning toward Aoba, sharing in a kiss, a _real physical kiss_ and…

Sei gave hard thrusts deep inside Aoba, deliberately drawing them out as the warmth of Sei coming filled Aoba. Clutching onto his brother with a hoarse breath, Aoba arched, his cum splattering on his torso. Sei’s hand was around his cock, milking out every drop from him before his movements became more soothing, kneading Aoba softly. His hand moved up as his hips finally stilled, his fingertips meeting the stains of cum on Aoba’s skin. Although embarrassed, Aoba could do nothing but moan weakly in protest as Sei smeared the fluid on his fingers then brought them up to his lips to lick clean. And of course, Sei held Aoba’s eyes the entire time.

Finally relaxing his body, Aoba groaned. “I think Sly is rubbing off on you….”

“I think you give me too much credit in not being a lewd person. Or rather, when it comes down to it,” Sei giggled, “I like getting what I want.”

Oh yes, he said it lightly now, but Aoba knew that Sei was a very persuasive person - whether that was good or bad depended on what it was he wished for. If it was one thing Aoba was learning though, it was that he could never say no.

Over a year ago, Aoba would never have dreamed that Sei would be here, on top of him, _inside him_ , and making sexual jokes. He never dreamed it, but here they were, very much real, with the possibility of becoming even closer with the idea of Sei and Sly having their own bodies to love each other with and for Ren and Aoba to physically love them too. Nothing was going to be just a dream anymore, and Aoba found a fond smile tugging at his lips.

Aoba felt a presence inside him, slowly creeping closer. He let Sly did as he pleased, relaxing back as Sei seemed to pick up that that very minute shift of recognition in Aoba’s eyes.

“Did you forget what I said before?” Sei tilted his head. “I want to be able to hold you, hold all of you, just like this. I haven’t felt any need for love or life since the moment we were separated. But now it’s all I crave. Sly too. And we need our own bodies to do that.”

Although not fully understanding the way Sei decided to put it, Aoba did get what was being said here. He let out a steady breath, reaching up to caress the side of Sei’s face. “So you two are going to do it then? You’ll transfer your consciousnesses into the babies?”

"Yes. But," Sei's expression became more serious as he started to stroke Aoba's face too, "if it so happens that me and Sly forget who we are, you and Ren will have to remind us."

Aoba nodded. "We'll tell you everything." He tried not to let his voice falter as he thought of the possibility of having to recall how ignored Sly had been once, or how much Sei had been experimented on to the point of breaking his body. But those were all important too, and how Sly and Sei were who they were. It couldn't be left out, even with the option to construct everything from scratch, and cover it with happiness.

As always, Sei got a read into these thoughts of Aoba's, and nodded too, thankful for his resolution. He let out a small breath, leaning down to kiss Aoba, long and languid. It was so full and consuming, and Aoba thought about how connected they both were to each other despite the barriers of flesh and bone, and always would be.

"I love you, Sei," Aoba murmured into the kiss. Or at least, he thought he did. He thought it, but he realized Sly was the one moving their lips. It was a surprise, because the times that Sly had actually said his affections out loud could be counted on one hand. A hand that was curled up in a fist. Aoba could feel Sly’s embarrassment.

But Sei didn’t seem surprised as he smiled, eyes closed. "Mmm. I love you too, Sly. Aoba. Ren."

When their lips met again, Aoba got the impression that it wasn't just the two of them basking in their loving afterglow.

* * *

Things moved quickly after that. Sei reassured them that the process would be simple since he was the only one who would be exercising any power here. The event of separating all of their consciousnesses and transferring Sei’s and Sly’s to the babies shouldn’t have any effect on Ren or Aoba. Had Sly truly become one with Aoba instead of two separate minds coming to coexist with each other, the process might have been trickier and more time-consuming. Not to mention it’d leave mental and psychological effects for Aoba, but as it was, things were expected to go smoothly.

And so it was that one weekend morning, with Tae present to act as supervisor, the four brothers sat on the bed, the bundle in the basket open before them. Or rather, Sei and Aoba sat down, the former needing to be out in order to focus his power.

Sei licked his lips. “Are you ready?” It was addressed to all of them.

Whether it was Sly’s nerves or Aoba’s that was making their heart pound wasn’t clear, but Aoba felt his soon-to-be-not-other-self shift around in place giddily like a violently flickering flame. Aoba was comforted by Sly’s excitement, and fought a smile as he met Sei’s eyes. “Yeah, we’re good.”

“Ready,” Tae said, finally resting her hands that had been wringing one another.

Sei touched his chest, touched Ren, and nodded. “Alright. Sly, I’m putting you in first.”

As Sei cupped his face, looking into his eyes, gathering up Sly deep inside him, Aoba was filled with a sudden sense of urgency, that perhaps he should say bye to Sly, or ask him to be careful, or maybe even threaten him to get out of this safely. But Sly trusted Sei, and so did Aoba. And so when drop by drop Sly fled from his mind, there was only the barest touch of illusionary fingertips, of firm stares in affirmation, of “ _I’ll see you later_ ”s.

The emptiness left Aoba feeling something collapse his bones. It wasn’t a horrible feeling, but more like the transfer left his mind trying to fill in the new room Sly left behind, and Aoba was flooded with weariness. Sei said this might happen, and so without panic, Aoba fell back on his bed, letting the sleep take him.

When he finally stirred awake, it was to a new sound he never heard before, not in this house. It gave his room a new feel, like the color yellow or the late spring season or memories of his mother singing in the kitchen as she helped with breakfast. Aoba had never heard the sound of a baby murmuring, but he perked up tentatively at its sound, rising from his bed to fall on the scene before him.

Ren was already awake and was gazing with all the attentiveness of an alert dog at the bundle in the basket, sitting on the floor. Tae was there too, watching for the moment that her maternal instincts might be needed.

One of the babies in the basket was fussing around. Not loudly, but it was breathing and kicking its pudgy legs and beating its little fists around. Soft cries huffed out from between near non-existent lips. Aoba couldn’t say how he knew it was Sly without asking, but he knew of course this is how it would be.

The baby right next to him wasn’t moving. For a second, Aoba panicked, eyes growing wide.

Tae noticed him rise and immediately gave him her reassurance. “They’re both alive. I suspect Sei is sleeping though, like always,” she said with a fond chuckle. “See? He’s breathing. Thank goodness for that. I thought it was going to happen the same way when you were first born…”

Aoba remembered the story Virus had told him, that when he and Sei were “born”, Aoba hadn’t been breathing. His grandmother had assumed him dead.

Yes. Thank goodness they were okay… Overcome with emotion, tears welled at a dangerous rate in his eyes. He looked over and saw Ren was already silently crying. He had a complicated expression on his face, and Aoba moved to link their hands tightly together. Ren bit his lip, looking over at Aoba, and Aoba couldn’t stop his shaking and crying and he wasn’t sure from what.

But now there was nothing to do but wait.

* * *

Sei slept for almost a week before he finally started to cry. By then, Ren and Aoba had already gone out on Tae’s instruction to buy some basic necessities for babies, because test tube creations or not, it was some top-notch research that Toue commanded to produce near-perfect human results. Save for pallor and the hair they were connected by, Sei and Sly were just like any other babies.

They were more hungry than not most of the time, going through quite a few bottles in one day alone. Tae deemed it unusual but didn’t have explanation as to why until about three weeks after the transfer.

“They’re growing rather fast,” she said, looking down at Sly who was cooing animatedly. “It might be their bodies trying to keep up with the maturity of their consciousness.”

Aoba perked up at that. “So you’re saying that they might still be the same? That they might remember everything?”

“They might,” Tae said carefully. “We won’t know until they can speak, of course. Which won’t be long at the rate they’re going.”

Aoba wondered if they really had to wait until speech came to know what Sei and Sly remembered. He had taken time off work to help his grandmother and Ren out with taking care of the babies. It felt weird to think of them as that, as ignorant (or not?) newborns in the world, when not so long ago the two of them had gone through a lifetime of ordeals. They were in bodies of a clean slate, which was why Aoba refused to cut their hair the same way his and Sei's had been. It made holding them and moving them around a bit awkward, especially the more they twitched and jerked - mostly on Sly’s part.

But they managed. As Tae prepared lunch, Ren and Aoba were sitting on the sofa giving Sei and Sly their own meals. They had to sit close together, thighs and hips pressing and elbows bumping, but they didn’t mind. Aoba gazed down at Sly in his arms, his little mouth working to chug his bottle’s contents down. It was cute. Really cute. Aoba was saving each of these moments to tease him about later.

At any rate, he’d rather have this kind of Sly than the one that cried at night.

At first there was debate over whether or not the twins would sleep in the spare room, with Ren and Aoba, or with Tae. None of them wanted to leave the new babies alone, even with the idea of using baby monitors. In the end, they slumbered in their crib in Aoba and Ren’s room.

That was when they found out Sly was deathly afraid of the dark. As soon as it was lights out and everyone settled down, Sly roused from his slumber almost immediately, letting out tight cries deep from his belly. Ren and Aoba panicked, turning on the light again to bring both babies into their arms, Sei now awake too and patting at Sly as if to soothe him. As soon as Ren cradled him, Sly calmed down, and slowly went back to sleep.

The crib became meaningless. For Sly’s sake, who couldn’t take the dark, who could hardly stand being in any enclosed space like the crib, Aoba and Ren let the twins settle between them through the nights.

Sei in particular never had any problems sleeping, sometimes scaring the wits out of the others who had to deal with him drifting off in the middle of something as simple as a bath.

It was strange, and of course took a lot of adjusting for everyone to welcome Sly and Sei once again, albeit in a vastly different fashion. The link of their hair remained preserved, and so did their snow-white tones over their skin, hair, and pale-blue of their eyes. Aoba waited for any slight change to their color, because obviously he and Sei gained pigment on their bodies eventually, but none ever came for the twins. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that back when Sei Scrapped him, and they where inside Sei’s head, this was apparently the form he had wanted to keep. Back there, Sly - then simply Aoba’s “desire” - had also been fully white, the ends of his hair curling at his feet neatly, as if freshly separated from Sei.

Had that want for them to remain in that same sense of oneness carried on even now? 

Meanwhile, it was quiet in Aoba’s head. Even though he could actually hold his brother and not-so-other-self now, they were too different a shape to fill the hole Sly leaving him left behind. The matter wasn’t one of silence, but one of utter emptiness. Now that Aoba had something to compare it too, he saw that it was different from what he experienced in that time without Ren and Sly. If he thought he felt empty back then, then right now it was a deep well that settled inside him. Rather than simply missing a puzzle piece, his mind was now a jagged and hollowed-out gorge.

Sly was bouncing on his lap. Aoba was holding him under his arms, lost in these thoughts of trying to make up for this empty space inside him. He wondered if Ren felt the same without Sei. But of course those things weren’t important to the infant Sly, who was letting out demanding gurgles for attention as he bounced on Aoba’s thighs.

He laughed at the display. Beside him, Ren was holding up a lightly swaying Sei who was gripping onto each of Ren’s index fingers with his small hands. They were both stable enough to stand and take a wobbling step or two before plopping down. They would crawl closely together and sleep in a pile, their hair around their arms and legs like a blanket.

“They’ve gotten so big.”

“Tae did say that their bodies were trying to catch up with their consciousness.”

“Do you think they’ll age normally once they’ve caught up?”

“I’d assume so. Until then, they’ll keep getting bigger like this, I suppose.”

Aoba let out another laugh as Sly reached out to bat at his face. Now, he really couldn’t tell if this was childish play or if Sly was actually aware that he was hitting Aoba. Both were entirely plausible for Sly, baby or not. “Talk about your growth spurts. It’s barely been two months.”

Offering a small hum in agreement, Ren said, “But I’m glad they’re happy. And I’m glad that we can hold them like this. This wasn’t possible before.”

Now it was Aoba’s turn to soften his expression, looking at Sly with the same fondness Ren was giving Sei. “Heh, that’s true.” Once upon a time, so much of what Aoba held precious to him could've been destroyed forever. Ren could've been lost to him. Sly could've blended into the ocean's glittering blue that was in Aoba's mind. Sei could've remained mentally torn to pieces, melting away like scattered morning dew.

All of that could have been his reality. Yet somehow, the choices he and the others made led them to this point. And so Aoba realized then that yes, he did feel lonely sometimes when he felt how his mind was solely his own now. But now he could share his heart and body more wholly with the ones he loved, and they could all be their own person. They all made it through their own chasms of darkness once before, and now would be no different. Aoba's heart was overflowing with that warm certainty.

"Baaa," cooed Sly.

Aoba grinned. "Baaa."

Beside him, Ren let out a quiet laugh. "You're a good mother, Aoba."

"What? Shut up, don't say that! He's my... We've..." Aoba looked into Sly's milky eyes, and while he could say he never _did_ anything with him physically, there _were_ those times when their control of their body and their flow of sensation became ambiguous, and they'd both feel their own caresses, _wanting_ the other to feel and...

Jesus Christ, he was holding a _baby_!

"Are you alright, Aoba?" The question was full of deep concern. Ever since he was broken from being able to readily assess Aoba's condition the way his Allmate body had granted him, Ren paid attention to every one of Aoba's expressions and reactions in order to catch the slightest blemish to his lover's well-being.

Except Aoba wasn't sick, just a teeny bit appalled with himself. Red-faced, he nodded his head quickly. Right in front of him, Sly giggled. The little shit.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's almost 1000 words I have written for after this and I expect it to be no where near as long as this chapter anyway so. It should be done. At some point. I'm not very reliable with updates, which was why I've done one-shots for so long in this fandom orz But please bear with me, and I hope this fic still has your interest.


	3. 3rd Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Aoba, Sei, Ren and Sly's third birthday together, everything finally falls into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Sei and Sly are growing at really rapid rates. I'm sure scientifically, this would pose a greater burden on them than I convey in the fic. However, due to time-constraints and general procrastination I put in my writing, I do hope it doesn't bother anyone that I cheated a bit. That said, Sei and Sly are growing at a rate of about one year each month. By the end of this installment, they'll be about twelve. 
> 
> Also I don't think anything in here merits an underage warning, but if anyone would be comfortable with me tagging the fic as such for future readers, feel free to indicate that! 
> 
> For all of you bearing with my slow updating and continued to read, thank you!

Sly wanted to go outside. Almost half a year since the transfer of his and Sei's consciousness, yet it hadn't ever once occurred to Aoba and Ren that at some point, Sei and Sly would need to go out and take in the sun just like any other child in the world. Once Aoba saw how cruel it was to keep them cooped up in the house and how much it mirrored the lives they had unfairly gotten used to before, he felt incredibly guilty.

But what could be done about it? When it came down to it, Sei and Sly were not normal children by any means, not even speaking of the fact they were so young in body only. In only a few short months, their bodies had grown at an unnatural and rapid rate; Sly's teeth had grown out and he was biting into everything before they knew it, and Sei was able to dress himself and talk, if not in a fashion that was too formal for a normal four-year-old.

All their tops had buttons because of the beautiful, almost gossamer hair that continued to link the twins and made their dressing options few. Indeed, their linked hair remained as so, as did their white skin with the hypnotic black marks.

So no matter how anyone tried to slice it, they were in the end abnormal, especially in appearance. Sei and Sly were clearly adamant about staying in their created forms, shown by the pigment that never came and their protesting wails should anyone even seriously bring up the notion of cutting their hair. It had to be nothing short of their own choice, or else Aoba suspected their color would've come in by now, even if a little.

Even so, Sly wanted to go out. He and Sei sat out on the veranda, swinging their legs over the ledge and just staring out at the limited scenery.  

"Park," Sly demanded with a pout when Aoba and Ren padded closer. He looked up at them with a scrunched up nose, as if he knew it was their fault they'd been cooped up so long. Aoba supposed he couldn't blame the accusation.

"What do you mean, 'park'?" Aoba asked, unable to stop from returning the snark Sly had. It seemed that was at least one dynamic they couldn't give up on.

Sei looked up too, but Sly only looked from Ren to Aoba. "The park," he repeated in his high, underdeveloped voice. "From before, the park you'd cry in. Then the hippo would come."

Now Aoba scrunched up his nose, but his was in thought. The park he cried in? Hippo? The two might not be linked to anyone else, but for Aoba there was only one park he visited in his life. It was the one of his childhood where he'd cry alone on the swings for Tae until Koujaku would find him and keep him company. Of course, now Aoba looked back on those memories with a new light, and it made him soften.

Ren and Sly had been there too during those times. It was only natural that Sly remembered it. Not only because Aoba now knew he'd been there, but also because, in bits and pieces, they'd come to find that Sei and Sly _did_ recall some of their prior memories from before the transfer. It wasn't all at once, but at times like these, Aoba could see Sly understood completely what it was he was saying.  

So how could Aoba deny that simple request? Mature mind or no, apparently Sei and Sly did still have childish desires, such as the simple want to play outside. Even just going out was a basic human need. It wouldn't be right to continue holding the twins captive. And this whole thing was like a do-over, right? Not everyone got to literally be a child again, and Sei and Sly already had a robbed childhood once before.

"Why not?" Aoba finally said, and looked at Ren, who smiled in agreement. "You haven't physically been there yourself either, have you, Ren? Come on, we'll all go."

Sei smiled, softening his already innocent features. "A date?" he asked with sweetness.

Aoba nearly tripped on his way back inside. Ren caught and steadied him, but Aoba hardly had the courtesy to thank him when he was sputtering, "Wh-who taught you that word!? That's...!"

Okay, that was a dumb question, of course Sei already knew the word. But more importantly, why did he suddenly feel like the younger brother being teased again!?

In response to Aoba, Sei only giggled, taking Sly's hand so they could go inside too to start getting ready. Aoba looked over at Ren, who offered an unsure smile in solace. A sigh was the only reply from Aoba.

Every day, having their lovers become children again was a more awkward situation than Aoba had originally anticipated.

They waited until the late afternoon to go, the time of day Aoba was usually at the park to wait for Tae after school. He knew that that was also the time of day less people were around, but there was still enough daylight for Sei and Sly to play. Winter's chill was breezing through the island more and more as the days went by, and so Ren and Aoba bundled themselves and the twins up in jackets before heading out.

It was obvious that it was Sei and Sly's first time outside. Sly had been sharing a body with Aoba all their lives. And Sei, while having his own body, had never set foot beyond the cold fortress of Oval Tower. Yet on this day they walked between Ren and Aoba, one foot in front of the other on the sidewalk, the sun making their hair shine with the near-full effect of reflected light. For the first time, all four of them were walking together, side by side.

By now, the emptiness inside Aoba had been stitched together. His mind felt quieter than ever before, but he was working on not letting it bother him. Nothing, after all, could compare to the miracle life they now lived, where they all could hold hands rather than simply settle for mental presence.  

At the park, it took several seconds of Aoba trailing on ahead for him to realize he wasn't being followed. Ren, Sei, and Sly all stood at the edge, looking at the playground like it was full of dubious objects rather than constructions for children's play.

Ah. Of course they wouldn't know what to do. Of the four of them, only Aoba had really spent time here normally, being chased by his parents and Tae, and being pushed on the swing by Koujaku. The others might have an idea what to do, but probably didn't know where to start. It had to be so foreign.  

Aoba walked to the swing set, smiling. "Hey, come over here, I'll push you."

The others all blinked, still looking unsure. In the end, Sly took some steps forward, dragging both Sei and Ren along by their hands. It took some maneuvering with Sei and Sly's linked hair, but soon enough, they were both seated in their own separate swings. After making sure they were secure and hanging on to the chains, Aoba gave them both a tiny nudge. Ren, standing in front of them to watch over their progress, laughed.

"What?" Aoba raised his brows.

"Nothing. They both just looked very surprised suddenly. Their eyes got big."

"Good or bad?" Aoba asked Sei and Sly just as much as Ren. Judging by Sly's bouncing in his seat, the answer was likely the former. With a few more little pushes to keep them at a comfortable alignment and speed, the twins were swinging side-by-side, their hair swaying along with every motion. Both of them had uncertain grins on their faces, as if waiting for the moment something would go wrong, but for now they were still rocking through the air like they never had before.

Aoba was positively beaming at the sight as the two giggled to themselves. Sly was already getting the gist of kicking his legs in and out to keep their motion going, and Sei soon picked up on the same thing. It was an endearing sight, seeing them coordinate together to keep themselves afloat.

"Alright," he said, turning to Ren. "Now you."

Blinking in surprise, Ren actually took a step back. "Aoba?"

"Come on, come on~ There's another swing right here with your name on it~"

Red filled Ren's cheeks as he took a glance at the silent swing next to the twins. "But Aoba, that's not made for adults, is it?"

"Well. Yeah, it is a little low, but you'll fit just fine." Aoba reached out to pinch Ren's flushed cheeks. "Come on, I promise it'll be okay. I'll push you too."

Apparently that was the reassuring thing to say, because after observing Sei and Sly rocking together in sync, Ren tentatively made his way to the free swing and settled down in it. With his long limbs, his feet were easily planted on the ground, and his shoulders hunched slightly as he looked to Aoba for further instruction.

Geez, it really was like he was with nothing but children, wasn't it? Aoba supposed they all were, in some form or another. Above all though, he was simply glad to be the one to show them the ropes to this kind of thing. It was like he was a parent witnessing his kids go through their firsts together - although the love and endearment filling his heart was certainly different from that of the parental sort.

Smiling, Aoba went behind the tense Ren and pressed a soothing kiss right under his ear.

"Not too high?" Ren asked, so quietly Aoba almost hadn't caught it over the creak of the twins' swings beside him.

"Haha. Yeah, don't worry. Ready?" Waiting for Ren's consenting nod, Aoba nudged Ren forward and started him up on a comfortable pace just like with Sei and Sly.

From there, their afternoon at the park went on. Aoba watched Ren's apprehension gradually transform into fascination as he swung higher and higher, his amber eyes focused on something beyond their scenery. He looked happy at any rate. Sei and Sly eventually stopped swinging in favor of exploring the jungle gym together, climbing up the steps and bouncing on the little plastic bridge.

Only when Aoba was absolutely sure that the twins understood not to get careless did he retire back to the swings with Ren. His lover had gotten out of his trance just once to watch Sei and Sly's triumphant descent down the slide, but now he was right back to having that faraway glaze in his eyes. Aoba was pleased at the peaceful expression and took the free swing beside Ren to start lightly rocking on his toes.

At the edge of the small park, he saw two women walking, one of them pushing along a stroller with a sleeping child. Aoba watched their progress for a few seconds before they slowed down, looking over at the jungle gym. At first, Aoba thought perhaps that they were considering spending time here, but then it became apparent that they were staring at Sei and Sly. The pearl-skinned and opalescent-haired Sei and Sly.

"What's wrong with them?" one woman murmured to the other. Her eyes were squinted in apprehension, as if half-expecting the twins to attack her.

The other woman pushing the stroller shook her head. "I don't know. But I hear a lot of weird things keep being seen around the island ever since the whole thing with Toue happened."

The first woman inhaled sharply. "You think they're a part of all that? Don't the police say to report this kind of thing?"

In a pause that totally gripped Aoba's heart and had him ready to signal to Ren and the twins, the second woman considered. She momentarily caught Aoba's eyes before looking down at her child’s stroller like she had hardly noticed him. Then, surprise of surprises, she kept on walking.

"No," she finally said. "They're just children. It's not their fault, I’m sure."

After a moment's hesitation, the first woman followed suit behind her. "That's just crazy," she mused out loud.

"Not as crazy as the collection of androids they found in Platinum Jail."

"What? No way, what's that all about...?"

Aoba's gaze trailed after them until they rounded the corner, and by then their conversation seemed to be safely driven away from the odd-looking children who had continued to play without a care in the world. Of course, Aoba knew that that was just the opposite, especially after that scene. Platinum Jail might be in the middle of deconstruction and Toue might be out of the picture, but Midorijima was still no where close to being any ordinary place to live.

And that was just so funny to Aoba, given how mundane the days used to be for him. But things were all inside out now, and maybe that wasn't the worst thing.

He noticed Ren had stopped swinging and was looking at him in concern. "Aoba, are you alright?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah. I was just thinking how crazy this all is."

Ren followed Aoba's words over to the twins, and he nodded. "I certainly won't disagree with that."

"But I'm happy too," Aoba said, reaching out to squeeze Ren's hand. "After all, I got to bring all of you here and make new memories. This used to be where I'd feel all alone. But look at things now."

At that, Ren's lips slowly spread in a tender smile. He leaned over to Aoba and licked his cheek. "I don't feel alone anymore either."

"Mm. None of us have to anymore." Aoba smiled too, a bit more bashfully at admitting something so sincerely, and having his cheek licked out in public.

The moment was interrupted - or rather, punctuated - by the soft rustle of Sei and Sly approaching sluggishly over.

"Ren. Aoba," Sly said. His hand was linked with Sei's, who was rubbing at his eye with his other hand. "We're tired now. Carry us!"

They might grow fast, but Aoba remembered Tae's words that that was also why their bodies got exhausted at a quicker rate. Their periods of sleep weren't as frequent as when they were babies, but the two did knock out sometimes at the drop of a hat.

Although laughing at the abrupt command, Ren was the first to nod, and bent down to scoop up Sly. Aoba took the yawning Sei. They had to walk closely together, making the shuffle home a little awkward, but the fulfillment of the day made the trek easier to deal with. Aoba kept a look out for the woman he saw earlier, but there were none in sight. Luckily the walk home didn’t call for getting near the busy streets like Aoyagi, but in an island that infrequently used cars, there were still people milling around, and their attention would get caught on the unusual children in Aoba and Ren’s arms.

No mind was paid to them, even with their frowns and murmurs. There was no way Aoba was ever going to keep Sei and Sly locked away forever. He vowed long ago that neither of them would have to endure that again. Midorijima wasn’t especially the safest place though, even when it was trying to put itself back together. But if everyone had eventually come to adjust to himself and Ren, and others that were like them, then surely Sei and Sly would finally find their place too eventually.

"Warm," Sei murmured, nuzzling into Aoba's collar.

"Mm," Sly said in agreement as he laid his cheek on Ren's shoulder. It was like they'd come to some simultaneous decision, and Aoba mirrored Ren's smile.

By the time they arrived home under the first stars of the night, the twins were fast asleep in their arms.

* * *

“Hey, what are you two doing? You’ve been at that for like half an hour.”

Both Sei and Sly perked up at the sound of Aoba’s voice, turning their heads to look over where he was sitting on the sofa with Ren. It was a Sunday, and they just finished lunch and were now lazing about from their fullness of another one of Tae’s delicious meals. The television was on, and Aoba had been under the impression that the twins had been paying attention, but that stopped being the case, if it ever was, when Aoba started noticing they’d just collapse on the floor.

By now, Aoba was desensitized to Sei and Sly just taking naps wherever and whenever, and as immediately as them being in the middle of doing something. But this seemed a little different. They’d go into a state of falling asleep, yeah, but then they’d wake up around five minutes later. 

At Aoba’s question, Sly grinned. “We’re doing Scrap.”

Both Aoba and Ren straightened up at that, looking at the twins, now a lot taller and bigger in their nine-year-old bodies, in shock.

“Scrap?”

Sei nodded. “We wondered if our powers carried over in these new bodies. Considering Toue had these as our spares, I didn’t see a reason why it wouldn’t work.”

“Is it working?” Aoba asked dubiously.

“You see us dropping here, don’t you?” Sly was wearing a triumphant smirk, and it looked far too bratty on his young face.

As if to make up for Sly’s crass response, Sei smiled and said, “Yes, it worked.”

“Well, you don’t have to keep doing it then. I mean,” Aoba rubbed the back of his neck, “you two shouldn’t overexert yourself with it.”

Sly waved him off. “Nah, it’s fine. We haven’t been making each other do anything anyway.”

Taking interest in the conversation, Ren shifted closer. It seemed like he was pondering something a lot more seriously than the banter going on, which by now Aoba knew wasn’t unusual. Although he had long-since parted from his original role of being Aoba’s “Restraint”, he still had the penchant for immediately taking care to think something through more deeply and seriously than others, especially if it involved his lovers in some way.

And this seemed like one of those times. Aoba knocked his knee lightly to Ren’s to prompt him to voice his musings. “Ren?”

“Ah, I was just thinking. If Sly can use Scrap still, have you lost the ability to use it?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Ever the most observant, Sei immediately understood what Ren was asking. “Hmm. Well, the case is obvious with us, Ren. Even though I gave you your body, Scrap’s power was always my own, and so of course you would not be able to use it. It transferred over with me because Scrap is an ability held in the mind, and the body is merely a vehicle for it. In Aoba and Sly’s case, Sly was the one who dominated over Scrap’s power when Aoba split his consciousness into three.”

Aoba nodded. That made sense to him. And his grandmother herself made the correlation between suppressing Sly and the control he had over Scrap. When trying to enter Ren, Aoba felt it difficult to purposefully use Scrap, because it was like he needed to go through some gate and ask its keeper for permission before finally getting through and having the power seep into his being.

And well, in the end, if he did lose the ability to use Scrap, it was no skin off his bones. Sly could have that power, the one that Aoba feared, if he were honest with himself. Sei might have the power of “life”, but Aoba’s Scrap was of “destruction”. Who would want a power like that? He’d broken the minds of his opponents in Rhyme, of Mizuki, and he’d destroyed Sei. Come to think of it, Ren might’ve been the most positive outcome he had when entering someone’s mind.

 _Having the ability to destroy isn’t something I think I would’ve been able to handle well. It’s too much, thinking I could hurt someone like I did before. Why would anyone want a power like that, where you could just accidentally crush everything you love with your own hands?_ Aoba sighed through his nose, and when he blinked again, his vision was brighter than before, his heart as light as a soaring hot-air balloon. _But still…Granny was the one that said it, right? That this power might not be all bad… After all, between us and Sei, this life here could come to us_.

It was difficult to keep the smile off his face. “Well, I don’t mind it,” he finally said. “It was always Sly’s power anyway. Just make sure you don’t overdo it, okay?”

Up until Aoba spoke, Sly had been wearing a complicated expression, as if unsure how to react to Sei’s explanation. Judging by his long stare over at Aoba, he’d also been worried about how Aoba would take it. Maybe he got worried Aoba would think he’d stolen Scrap from him. That was nowhere near the truth though, and Sly seemed reassured by his response, smirking in return.

“As if.”

“You too, okay, Big Brother?”

Sei nodded obligingly. He shifted over to Ren’s side, dragging Sly with him and laying his head down on Ren’s lap – almost immediately Ren started to pet through his hair. “Well, Toue originally gave us this power to control people. There might be ways to use it for good, but until such a time arises, there’s no real need for these powers.”

“ _Although_ ,” Sly said, grin growing ridiculously fox-like, “I’m really curious about what you two’s minds are like.”

“Eh?”

“Sly’s right,” Sei piped in.

“But you’ve already inhabited our minds,” Ren said, looking just as apprehensive as Aoba.

“Mmn, but Sly hasn’t seen your mind at all,” Sei pointed out, smiling. His large pale eyes found Aoba and glimmered. “And I’m very much interested in what being inside you is like, Aoba. Is your mind pretty like Ren’s? Is it just as open and honest?”

Something in the lilt of Sei’s words did _those_ things to Aoba all over again. That seemed like something that would never change, and Aoba found himself squirming a bit. Moreover – he’d been inside Ren before, and had seen the images upon images of just himself filling the space. The memory alone didn’t help his sudden flustered state.

Still riding along the upperhand he and Sei were getting on Ren and Aoba, Sly licked his lips. “I’m sure if we’re open enough, we’ll still be able to have lots of _fun_ with Scrap with each other…”

Aoba sat up straight and backed himself to the corner of the sofa, hugging his legs protectively to his chest. “Y-you two! Don’t you start getting any ideas! And don’t use Scrap on anyone, including me and Ren, without explicit permission first!”

Satisfied with Aoba’s reaction, Sly cackled. “Yeah, yeah, don’t get your panties all twisted.”

Aoba pressed his lips together and looked at Ren. “He’s not even a pre-teen yet.”

“I wonder if my dick will end up bigger than yours though?”

Even though Sly had left more than enough space after the transfer, there still was not enough room in his head to convey the volume of internal screaming Aoba was having. He settled for tossing a pillow at Sly’s face. Ren stopped him from retaliating. Sei giggled and continued to rub his cheek affectionately against Ren’s thigh. It made him look like a cat begging for some attention. That would certainly fit; Sei and Sly might as well be Siamese cats with how mischievous they were despite their innocent appearance. As if to prove it, Sly scowled at the affection Ren was giving Sei, and moved closer to claim some of his own, wrapping his arms around Ren’s waist. Sei let out another amused sound and Ren, perplexed, started petting Sly too.

“You’re so possessive.”

“Something wrong with that? You getting jealous?” Sly started to bury his face into Ren’s stomach.

“I was here first,” was all Sei said. He continued to smile, like Sly’s comment hadn’t even bothered him.

But that only made Sly pout. Jostling himself up higher, he sat himself on Ren’s lap, cupping either side of his face. “Ren, do you love me the most out of all of us?”

Ren blinked, obviously lost on how to begin answering. His mouth opened and closed, and he was shrinking in slightly. “I love all of you,” he said.

Sly huffed. “Okay. Fine. But give us a kiss to prove it!”

Up until then, Aoba had just been silently watching but now he was sputtering. “Have some shame while you still look like that!”

“Reason, you’re boring.”

“Come back down here, _I’ll_ give you a kiss,” Sei declared, tugging on Sly’s shorts.

After a moment of consideration, Sly moved down to Sei's level. Aoba made a choking sound and pointedly looked away.

Unfortunately, Ren was still stuck in the middle. After a second, Sei laughed again. "Stop worrying, Aoba, it was just a peck." He moved over to climb on the sofa as well, and leaned over to press a chaste kiss on Aoba's cheek. Sly did the same to Ren. 

Although he was red-faced, Aoba didn't push Sei away. 

* * *

By the dawn of their third birthday together, almost a year had passed since the arrival of the babies on the Seragaki doorstep, and over two years since Sei had come back. And even more time before that, Sly and Ren had also returned to Aoba. Every year seemed to be a surprise, but the whole house was counting on none this time, and instead tried to focus on celebrating the day as normal. 

Well, as normally as a family like the Seragakis could. 

Aoba and Ren padded down the stairs apprehensively together. They knew Tae was awake and had already left to meet up with Koujaku, Mizuki, and Clear to get some shopping done for the birthday party. That left just Sei and Sly, but unfortunately those two were awake as well, and they were sitting at the kitchen table like they were waiting on Ren and Aoba. They sat together, legs swinging under their chairs even though their feet could touch the ground now. Both of them looked up at once at the new arrivals quietly rustling into the kitchen. 

Smiling knowingly, Sei put down his cup of juice. "Good morning, you two."

"Ah, good morning." 

"M-morning." 

"Have a good night?" Sly asked with raised brows. "Maybe you had a nice _midnight snack_ , Ren?" 

Before even walking into the kitchen, poor Ren was getting flustered, but now he nearly dropped his rice bowl jumping at Sly's words. Aoba too tried not to make any eye-contact with the twins, instead focusing on piling in the rice Tae had left in a pot on the stove before she left.

Neither man could help it. Ever since Sei and Sly got big enough to share their own room, Aoba and Ren were realizing they had a lot more freedom in their hands. The past year had just been so crazy that the times that they could have a minute to themselves and get heated and intimate were few and far between. But now that they were on their own at night, curling up together on Aoba's small bed, hands and lips wondered very quickly, and their heat washed over each other again and again with the fervor of a starved animal. It didn't help that sometimes they made enough telling noise in their bedroom, or they'd get caught. Both might be the case for last night when Ren had been in the middle of eating out Aoba before Sly and Sei made their presence known. 

But since discussing his sex life first thing in the morning wasn't Aoba's most favorite hobby, he sat down at the table too and started eating. "You know it's your birthday, right?" he asked. "You might want to start acting more mature."

"Aoba, you're going to say that to your big brother?" Sei sounded mildly appalled. An act, of course, and Aoba wasn't going to fall for it.  

"Right now, in that body, wouldn't me and Ren be the big brothers?" Aoba pouted. "Who said you were the older one, anyway?" 

"I was the one who was technically alive first," Sei pointed out with a gentle grin. 

Point taken, Aoba supposed. He wished he could say more on the matter but instead he sulkily nibbled at his rice. Something told Aoba that no matter what, Sei would always be the older sibling. It was true, because none of them held the other in a certain respectful regard as they did with Sei.

A few seconds later, he felt Sei's feet tapping against his leg, trying to get his attention.

"What is it?"

"Happy birthday, Aoba, Ren. You too, Sly." Sei gave the latter a quick kiss on the cheek. His well-meaning smile remained on his face, his eyes looking off to places none of them could see. When he came floating back down to reality, his voice was softer, and apologetic. "I know that there's many things we have missed, things we couldn't help because of the circumstances of how we were born. But as this will be our first birthday together where we can sit in our own chairs at the same table, and I can look at all of you," and he did, glancing at them all fondly in turn, "I can say that there's no greater present I want." 

A weird mixture of happiness and sadness filled Aoba's veins as he thought of how each of them must have been spending this day for the past twenty-seven years. 

He thought of Sly, hunched over in the most dark and cramped corner of Aoba's mind. The jealousy and rage he must've felt, knowing Aoba's birth was being celebrated, while he was confined and condemned as something that wasn't wanted. Every year being a reminder that he should not exist. He sat in front of Aoba now, hanging on to Sei's words like he was embarrassed to admit that they touched him too. It was easy to spot the light flush of his cheeks on his white skin, but he hid his feelings with the scowl he always wore. Aoba lightly kicked him under the table, and Sly kicked back. 

He thought of Ren, who was there during his birthdays, never knowing that the special day was for him as well. He'd greet Aoba every morning on April twenty-second with a rigid happy birthday, and his hopes that he'll be able to continue supporting Aoba for another year. Who knew his wish would go on, even now as his knee bumped against Aoba's, or as their hands linked under the table? The happy birthday that had greeted him this morning was different from the others from Ren - it was full of warmth and love, despite his caring nature remaining the same.

And of course, Aoba thought of his own twin brother, Sei. Sei who was alive and had control over his own body, sitting in the sharp walls of Oval Tower. Aoba heard that Toue regarded Sei as a son, but how that definition to him might've differed from the normal one was something Aoba wasn't sure of. He couldn't exactly picture any birthday parties being thrown for Sei, despite the extravagance he'd been surrounded by. The dining room table full of cuts and old crayon markings from Aoba's childhood hardly stood up to that luxury, but somehow Aoba was certain Sei didn't mind that at all.

Because they were all here. Now and forever, with Aoba and each other. 

Aoba hummed in agreement to Sei's words, the rice in his bowl tasting better than ever before, despite its plain appearance. "Yeah," he said. "Happy birthday, Sei. Ren. Sly."

"Happy birthday," Ren said, pecking Aoba's cheek. 

Sly chuckled. "Yeah, cheers to you guys. Happy birthday." 

"Happy birthday, Aoba-san, Ren-san, Sly-san and Sei-saaaan~!" The front door burst open, and flowing out where ribbons and balloons and decorated bags, all being carried by Clear who came bustling into the kitchen with all his festive loot. Koujaku and Mizuki followed with big grins and waves, leaning to hug each of the birthday boys in turn.

The last to waddle out the door was Tae, who leered at her grandsons in the kitchen. "Have you four not finished breakfast yet? Hurry up and eat, then wash up! Honestly, we go through all this trouble for you, and you're still in your pajamas!" 

"Sorry, sorry!" The four of them quickly ate up the rest of their breakfast - and barely managing not to choke - before hurrying up the stairs. Behind them, their grandmother was already giving out orders to their friends to start decorating and getting the cake batter started. Sei and Sly got tangled up more than once trying to get ready because of their hair, and Aoba was tossing clothes at Ren to change into. It was a rushed mess, but they were laughing, even when Aoba started griping to Sly to stop hogging the bathroom - _and really, did he have to leave Sei outside the door, in his lonesome?_

Aoba didn't really mind it though. These were the kind of fun memories that only came every so often in a lifetime. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lesson in producing this is that writing four people at the same time is hard but that's the price you pay for writing ot4, ain't no way around it. 
> 
> There's still 1000 possibilities for this AU but for now I think I'm done with it. This is certainly not the last time I'll write Renslyaoseis though, I promise you that. Next time will be like. Porn or something. Maybe that zombie AU I abandoned, who knows. Anyway, thanks for sticking around, and please drop a lil something-something if you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Because I so desperately wanted to get this out while it was still April 22nd, I ended up splitting this into two parts. The fic just kind of got away from me, and I kind of regret it. I'll probably have the next part up tomorrow, but of not, it'll be because I'm dealing with two research papers right now. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this self-indulgence so far (please assume all my Renslyaoseis are just that. Self-indulgent. Because I'm pretty sure I'm the only one excited about them). Happy birthday, babs.


End file.
